During his recent bilateral visit to India, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of Philippines held high-level discussions aimed at boosting economic and industrial cooperation between the Philippines and India. The visit highlighted the Philippines’ interest in expanding strategic partnerships with Indian companies, including the Hinduja Group, across sectors such as defence, energy, automotive, and digital technology.
The Philippines government has invited the Hinduja Group to expand its presence in key sectors such as defence, energy, automotive, and digital technology.
Strengthening India–Philippines ties
The Marcos administration has been keen on tapping international partnerships to accelerate industrialisation and build advanced technological capabilities. At the meeting, the Hinduja Group was seen as a potential partner owing to its track record in mission-critical industries ranging from transport and defence to clean energy and digital services.
“We shared with the President about the first batch of 50 LCVs that we will assemble and deliver locally in the Philippines. This is just the beginning and we hope to build a long-term partnership based on trust, innovation and joint growth,” Shom Hinduja, President of Alternative Energy and Sustainability and Board Member of Ashok Leyland and Gulf Oil Lubricants, said.
Technology and services expansion
Alongside its automotive investments, Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) signed a Letter of Intent with the Philippine government to scale up its local operations. This announcement highlights the country’s role as a strategic growth hub for IT-enabled services.
Industry studies show that outsourcing in the Philippines contributes nearly 8% to its GDP, employing over 1.3 million workers. Analysts suggest that additional private-sector investments in digital services will create new jobs and strengthen skills in emerging technologies like AI-driven service platforms.
Clean energy and defence opportunities
Energy transition was also part of the discussions. The Hinduja Group, through its sustainability-focused businesses, aims to align with the Philippines’ renewable energy targets. The Philippines currently generates around 30% of its power from renewable sources and government plans set a target to increase this share to 50% by 2040. Collaborations with global firms are seen as vital in achieving this.
Hinduja Group’s Global expansion plans
Dheeraj Hinduja, also highlighted, “The Hinduja Group’s interest in the Philippines is part of an overall global expansion program, in which the Group has always tried to seek out emerging markets where it can add value with its local knowledge and expertise, and drive industrial development.” Ashok Leyland has its presence in over 50 countries worldwide. They have manufacturing facilities in India, the UAE and the UK. The company has extended its footprint with products and operations through various dealers in multiple African countries, including Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Cameroon, Uganda and many more.
Market potential in the Philippines
Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman of Ashok Leyland, stressed the attractiveness of the Philippines as a strategic market.
“The Philippines is an exciting market, with an energetic workforce, a strategic geographic location, and forward-thinking national leadership. Our capabilities across the automotive, energy, and digital technology sectors put us in a unique position to help facilitate the economic transformation of the country,” he said.
Dheeraj Hinduja added, “We learned from our experience in African countries including Chad, Nigeria, South Sudan and many more, that it is possible to create business in new geographies and create a sustainable model, given that you have the suitable local partners and an understanding of market size, customer needs, growth plan, etc. The Philippines is very much like that, and we believe we can bring value with technology, training and localised production.”